As the SEC regular season has wound to its conclusion, it’s time to look back at the men who stopped opposing offenses. Some were brilliant, some are already gone, but we’re going to break them all down — and rank the 14 defensive coordinators of the SEC, based solely on their 2016 performance.

Resigned, Demoted, or Otherwise Trending Down

14. Dave Wommack, Ole Miss: How bad was Dave Wommack’s 2016 season? Well, he retired after the Egg Bowl. Injuries hurt, but Wommack’s Rebels were so bad that they almost single-handedly sent Ole Miss from Playoff aspirations to a 5-7 year. In his first four years in Oxford, his defense had held opponents to 28, 24, 16, and 23 points per game. In 2016, Ole Miss gave up 34.0 points per game, and finished last in the SEC in run defense. Say goodbye, Dave.

13. DeMontie Cross/Ryan Walters, Missouri: Co-coordinators weren’t twice as good for the Tigers. They allowed 31.5 points per game, even in the offensively-challenged East, and were so bad that head coach Barry Odom reassumed defensive duties down the stretch of the season. One would expect that Cross and/or Walters will move on, or reassume roles as position coaches.

12. Peter Sirmon, Mississippi State: Sirmon took over a defense that had allowed 23.3 points per game or less for the past six years, and promptly allowed 33.1 points per game. State was last in the SEC in pass defense, and was torched for 31 touchdowns in the air (11 more than 13th-place Kentucky). If Year 2 isn’t better, there won’t be a third.

11. D.J. Eliot, Kentucky: Eliot didn’t have a ton to work with, but when the Wildcats gave up 40+ points and 500 or more yards to Southern Mississippi and New Mexico State, things had to change. While the exact details are unclear, Mark Stoops apparently began calling the defenses again by midseason and Kentucky improved dramatically. If Eliot stays at UK, it’ll probably be as the linebackers coach.

10. Bob Shoop, Tennessee: As Hawk Harrelson used to say in his broadcasts: “He gone.” Shoop’s Vols were hurt by injuries, but gave up 29.2 points per game, the most in the Butch Jones era, as well as almost 460 yards per game. Getting blasted by Vanderbilt was probably Shoop’s last straw, and he’s about as likely to be back as last Christmas’s eggnog.

9. Robb Smith, Arkansas: Smith’s defenses have gone from allowing 19 points per game in 2014 to 27 last season to almost 31 in 2016. Also, the 428.7 yards per game allowed in 2016 were the most in school history. That’s not the kind of record Bret Bielema was looking to set, and Smith, as well as his head coach, is on a hot seat.

Nov 25, 2016; Columbia, MO, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Bret Bielema talks with defensive coordinator Robb Smith (right) before the game against the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field. Missouri won 28-24. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Solid, But Room to Improve

8. John Chavis, Texas A&M: Chavis has brought solidity to the A&M defense, but down the stretch, the unit was grossly underachieving. A&M did hold scoring to a reasonable 23.8 points per game but was 10th in yardage allowed in the league at 444.2 yards per game. Again, this was not out of keeping with pre-Chavis numbers, but getting beaten badly by LSU left a bad taste in the mouth of many Aggies fans.

7. Mel Tucker, Georgia: Tucker’s Bulldogs were a middle-of-the-pack defense, allowing 24.1 points per game. UGA held opponents to 328 yards per game, good for fourth in the conference. Their final SEC game, at home against Auburn, was their best work of the season. UGA also posted 15 interceptions and allowed just a dozen passing touchdowns. All in all, call it a learning season for Tucker and his boss, Kirby Smart. But the defense is young.

Trending Upward

6. Travaris Robinson, South Carolina: The Gamecocks had little returning talents from defenses that verged on atrocious in 2014 and 2015, but turned this around enough to earn a bowl bid for Will Muschamp in his first season. They did so without their top player, too, Skai Moore. USC trimmed its points allowed from 30.4 and 27.5 in Spurrier’s final two years to 24.8 this season. Carolina picked off 14 passes, and if they had not lost Moore, would have been one of the best defenses in the league. They still tied for most turnovers forced in the SEC.

5. Derek Mason, Vanderbilt: Mason’s defense gave up slightly more yards and points than it did in 2015. But it enabled his offensively-challenged Commodores to post victories against Georgia and Tennessee, and earn a bowl bid. Zach Cunningham was the most underrated player in the SEC, and some day, when he’s in his 12th Pro Bowl, somebody will wonder, “Where did he play in college?”

4. Kevin Steele, Auburn: Expectations were for the Tigers to improve on defense, and they delivered. For the first time since 2008, Auburn allowed fewer than 24 points per game — in fact, they finished at 15.6 — which was No. 5 in the nation. Auburn had one of the toughest run defenses in football, allowing just 124.8 yards per game despite facing Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, Georgia, and Mississippi State, among others.

3. Dave Aranda, LSU: When the head coach gets fired and the interim coach goes out of his way to make sure that he can keep the defensive coordinator … well, that says something. It says in part that Aranda did his job very well in 2016. LSU went from allowing 24.3 points per game in 2015 to just 16.4 this year, and yardage allowed went from 347 per game to 323, as well. Arden Key and Tre’Davious White were just two Tigers who benefited from Aranda’s aggressive style. They won’t be the last.

Apr 16, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers defensive coordinator Dave Aranda looks on during the Spring Game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Is This Real Life?

2. Geoff Collins, Florida: If Florida had any kind of offense … well, they won the SEC East without one, so who knows what would have happened? Collins certainly held up his end of things, as Florida allowed 14.6 points and 291.9 yards per game in 2016. Florida held opposing teams to an amazing 46.4 percent completion percentage and allowed just national-low eight touchdowns in the air — bettering Alabama on both stats. The Gators would have trouble being much better.

1. Jeremy Pruitt, Alabama: Is it Pruitt? Is it Saban? Who knows, but it’s been amazing. 11.4 points and 246.8 yards per game allowed are both phenomenal statistics. History tells us that when Alabama puts up stats like that, they win a national title. The 68.7 rushing yards per game allowed by Alabama are the fewest since 1992. We might never again see an SEC defense allow 2.2 yards per carry for a season.